In July 2010, the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division was inactivated and reflagged as the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, which was subsequently reactivated. The 5th Brigade's Special Troops Battalion was also inactivated and reflagged as the 2nd Brigade's Special Troops Battalion, but the subordinate units were reassigned to the new 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

In 2005, the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division began transformation to the US Army's new modular force structure. As a result many of its units were reflagged. Also, units previously held at division level were made organic to the unit, a key element of the modular transformation. 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry was reflagged as the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry. The 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry was reflagged as the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry. 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry was reflagged as the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry. The 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery and 2nd Forward Support Battalion (redesignated 2nd Brigade Support Battalion) were also made organic to the new Brigade Combat Team.

Prior to its redeployment to the United States in 2005, the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division was the Army's only Light/Heavy Brigade, with 2 Air Assault Battalions, the 1-503rd Infantry (Air Assault) and the 1-506th Infantry (Air Assault). The Brigade also had the 1-9th Infantry assigned to it. The 2nd Brigade acted as a deterrent against North Korean aggression against the Republic of Korea (ROK) and was based at Camp Hovey.

The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division was first organized in October 1920 in the Regular Army at Camp Travis, Texas, as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Infantry Brigade, and assigned to the 2nd Division. The unit was redesignated on 23 March 1925 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Brigade and again on 24 August 1936 as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Infantry Brigade. It was disbanded on 16 October 1939 at Fort Francis E. Warren, Wyoming.

The Brigade was reconstituted on 25 January 1963 in the Regular Army as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division and activated on 15 February 1963 at Fort Benning, Georgia. From there it followed the 1st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division to the Republic of Korea in 1965, where it was stationed until 2005.

A DoD briefing on 17 May 2004 confirmed that elements of the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division would be deploying to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom 3. The deployment was for one year and affected roughly 3,600 soldiers. By mid-July 2004 the large-scale movement of equipment from the 2nd Infantry Division area to ports in southern South Korea was underway. There it was being packed onto ships and sent to the Middle East. Some 3,600-3,762 2nd Brigade soldiers deployed to Iraq by early August 2004 and met up with their equipment in theater.

The US Army announced on 23 September 2004, that the 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division would relocate to Fort Carson, Colorado upon completion of the deployment to Iraq as part of the Operation Iraqi Freedom 2 rotation. Upon completion of their deployment in the July-August 2005 timframe, the unit relocated to Fort Carson, but dependents had been expected to begin relocating to the facility prior to that date. A Forward Detachment was established to facilitate this move.

The Brigade was made up of infantrymen, M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, mechanics and engineers worked together to complete the mission. Each had a vital role in the mission's objectives. The unit's mission was to search and secure the enemies fire power. That would allow the infantry units to conduct their missions. The unit did a lot of cache sweeps, mostly through the countryside and in houses, trying to push out the insurgents. They usually found some buried caches, mortar rounds or booby traps. Once the location of a potential improvised explosive device was identified, whoever was on the search team would call for explosive ordnance disposal.

While they were very successful at their job, the engineers had to adjust their actions numerous times due to the changing threats. They were trained to do the combat-engineer mission, but they were not trained on what they had to do in Iraq. At first the unit had to conduct cache sweeps, and they were very successful. The enemy, however, became smarter and IEDs and mines became prevalent. Once the field had been cleared, the Soldiers and Bradleys would conduct their sweeps in factories, buildings and homes.

They would secure the main support route that ran from Fallujah to Ramadi. After the all-clear was given, they would conduct raids in the area. The objective was to stabilize the area they were assigned and try to make the country better for the Iraqi people. While the unit built a positive image with the Iraqi people, the Soldiers were eager to get home to their families.

By August 2005 Soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division redeployed to Fort Carson, Colorado after completing the Brigade's first deployment since the Korean War. The unit, which had called the Republic of Korea its home for the last 50 years, relocated to Fort Carson after the deployment in Iraq. After arriving at Fort Carson, Colorado, the unit began transformation to the US Army's new modular force structure, losing its 2 Air Assault battalions, but reflagging those units as regular infantry battalions. In addition, the Brigade gained a cavalry squadron, the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavarly. The 2nd Forward Support Battalion was redesignated as the 2nd Brigade Support Battalion and became organic to the Brigade, as did the 2nd Battalion, 17th Field Artillery.

In October 2006, the new 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division returned to Iraq as part of Operation Iraq Freedom. After the deployment the 2nd Brigade Combat Team returned to Fort Carson and became part of a large reorganization of US Army units. 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division was subsequently inactivated in April 2008, its personnel were reflagged as the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. The 5th Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington, was then expected to eventually be reflagged as the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.